Legal Writing and Research

The Legal Writing and Research Program includes two mandatory first year classes: Legal Writing and Research I, which the students take in the fall, and Legal Writing and Research II, which the students take in the spring. Over the academic year, students learn how to research, write, and think like attorneys. The Legal Writing and Research classes simulate the rigors of a law firm.

In the fall, students complete four major writing projects in addition to a number of major research assignments. The focus of the fall course is predictive writing, which is writing that predicts how a court will apply the law to the facts of the client’s situation.

In the spring, students focus on persuasive writing by learning how to use the law to argue their client’s position. Students perform research, write a motion, write an appellate brief, and argue their side in front of a panel of “judges” from the San Diego legal community as a part of Oral Arguments.

The Legal Writing faculty also hosts auxiliary seminars throughout the year to assist students with other issues related to legal writing in practice, such as legal writing in a clerkship setting, professional email communication, and motion writing.